Loving Hut Mount Gravatt

I’ve recently been introduced to vegan cuisine by a friend. I have to say that Loving Hut does a great job of introducing vegan dishes to non-​vegan eaters.
Come here with an open mind and you carnivores just might be pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer.
Portions are quite generous and service is lovely.
Tip: There is actually covered parking just around the corner. Street parking can be hard but I have always found a spot in the garage.

There is an appeal to Loving Hut that goes beyond providing an entirely vegan menu. The restaurant is an unassuming, counter service venue with comfortable outside seating. Once we’d ordered, we were not left waiting long for our food, which arrived in portions and flavours of equal impressiveness. I’m giving the place five stars because while there is room for improvement in some areas, it’s outweighed by the value for money offered and the commendable achievement of creating a 100% vegan restaurant that serves a proper meal.

Oh my gosh! This place is just incredible!
Took my meat loving friend along for dinner, and he loved it almost more than me! Meals are absolutely huge and filling! Wish I had know that before ordering an entrée and main. Though Prices were so reasonable that I probably would again next time. Just to try a bit more of everything! Super friendly staff. Small freezer of take home goods to purchase! An an awesome looking list of deserts! Which I will be back to try as I there was no way I was fitting it in last time!
Arrived mid week just after 8 thinking we would be too late for a little place in the suburbs.
It was pumping with guest and they accommodated us with no fuss.
Food was prompt and delicious!
Give it a go next time you are in the area. Even you carnivores will be pleasantly surprised! :)

There is a huge selection if food to choose from and very affordable.
This restaurant is in a good area as well, and nice and close for me to get to. However parking can be somewhat difficult if you don’t realise it is there, you may just drive past.
I had wanted to try zucchini pasta for so long, and was sort of disappointed, but I do not think that was because of the restaurant as my partner had a delish dish! (It was just not my cup of tea)

Very nice menu and selection, which includes specials. Very affordable.
It’s up to you to pour your own water and fetch your knife and fork and napkin and so forth, so don’t expect to be nursed by the waiter staff.
As long as you ready for a light going meal in a friendly spacious environment, you won’t be disappointed with the menu and the choice available.
As a meat eater, I was hesitant to try this place, but had been told that it’s vegetarian food made to taste like meat. Which it does a great job at. Some of the menu items are named after meat dishes as well.
It also gets five star ratings so you can be sure that the food is of high quality.
I’d recommend giving this place a go for a flexible vegan meal that will appeal to anyone. Just don’t expect the staff to know how to respond exactly, as others have mentioned they aren’t trained in how to interact with customers; the waitress responded with «it’s ok» to my «thank you» ;).

Truly a wonderful eating experience. Amazing food with lovely service, there is little wonder that this restaurant has won an award recently. Highly recommend for variety, flavour and honour towards the food that is cooked and served.

This place is awesome! Great vegan restaurant, so many options on the menu including raw and gluten free. The meals always come out so fast and are fresh and tasty. Prices are dirt cheap too. My only complaint is that the owners aren’t vegan or even vegetarian, a little disappointing considering its a vegan restaurant.

Loving Hut is a vegan institution: it’s one of the few places that omnivores have heard of (if they haven’t heard of LH, they probably haven’t heard of anywhere else), and it’s a good, safe choice for taking those omni friends of yours out for their first meal at «a vegan restaurant». The menu has absolutely structure or theme: there’s a vague Asian-​inspired thread running through part of it (there’s wantons (cream-​cheese filled), black bean beef (not called that, but that’s what it’s aiming for), Chinese pan bread, Peking «luck», etc), but there’s also lasagna, Garlic Butter cutlet (cous cous with mixed veggies topped with two cutlets (or what, we do not know) and garlic/​herb butter), and other (somewhat odd?) menu items. Everything is distinctly Westernised (oddly) and will not offend those indisposed to Asian cuisine but, as a consequence of this, don’t go expecting any sort of authenticity in any of the dishes, regardless of their origin (the satay sauce seems to contain no peanuts, or at least certainly tastes like it doesn’t; the red sauce in the lasagna is almost certainly from a jar… you get the idea). Also, don’t even THINK about touching the desserts or coffee: the coffee is absolutely horrendous, the ice cream is gross So Good, and the desserts… I can’t even talk about it. I do have a soft spot for the Choc Banana smoothie, though.
Even if you aren’t sure about what you’ve ordered, make sure you clear you plate, though: staff with sometimes (a little too eagerly) inquire as to why you didn’t finish your meal («Didn’t you like it?»). You have been warned.
And now that we’re on service: WHAT SERVICE. Sometimes, your entrees will beat you to your table, and you’ll be in and out in under 30 minutes, but a few times we’ve gone there we’ve waited and waited and been presented with our order sporadically and in no particular order. One night, I was dining with two others and the food came out thusly: 1’s entrée came out, 10 minute wait, my entrée came out, 15 minutes wait, 1’s main came out, my main came out, 10 minutes wait, 2’s main came out, 5 minute wait, 2’s entrée came out. Thankfully 1 was a very slow eater, otherwise we would’ve just had to sit there and watch 2 eat. Fun times.
BUT DON’T LET THAT PUT YOU OFF. Loving Hut is a good, solid feed for those days when you’re just a little too exhausted to cook and, for we vegetarians and vegans, when you really just can’t be bothered getting into arguments with servers about not wanting meat/​cheese/​eggs and, more annoyingly, WHY you don’t want to eat them (seriously, I don’t need to hear about your vegetarian nephew who is now paleo: just give me the food). The food won’t blow your mind, but when you just need to fill up your tank with an OK feed, this is your place. Staff are always friendly (as above, sometimes a little too friendly), even if service is very inconsistent (thankfully, there are a number of new servers who have excellent service, so pray that you go on the night that they’re there!).
Recommended menu items: lasagna, garlic butter cutlet, Peking luck, cream cheese wanton, salt and pepper mushroom.
Aside from the food, they also sell some (random) groceries: a few fake meats, some fake cheese, and recently they’ve started selling the Nushie ice cream.
Oh, and you may notice what’s happening on the TV and some of the pamphlets around: fear not! It’s run by a religious group but they never mention it and will certainly never try to push it on you. And seriously, watch the TV for a little while: it’s an experience no other.
Go in with no expectations (for both food and service) and an empty stomach and you will not be disappointed.

Pros: food, price, serving size
Cons: customer service, too much mock meat
Loving Hut is right around the corner from me — great convenience food for my family’s weekly take away! I discovered this gem about 6 months into my vegan journey and have loved trying everything on the menu.
The food and flavours are generally fantastic. The lasagne is a hands-​down family favourite, closely followed by the vegetable korma. Hubby loves their spring fried rice. Servings are generous and reasonably priced ($ 11-​$ 14 for mains). We share meals and always have leftovers.
I must say, I have tried all their desserts and dislike them all! The cheesecakes are bland and I feel sick every time I bite the chocolate cake (hubby occasionally orders it). Sorry folks — am surprised to read so many reviews praising them when I find them all foul. Desserts from menu much better but are pretty basic. Ice cream with an Oreo stuck on top, for example.
The atmosphere is pretty average — «canteen feel» agreed by previous review. If only they had table cloths and were set with cutlery and maybe a candle, the ambiance would change dramatically. It’s self-​serve cutlery, napkins, water and other condiments. It seems each choice that detracts from the place is for cost-​cutting purposes.
The service is hit-​and-​miss. They’re all about pushing people thru, with zero customer connection. I have stopped several staff members at the counter and forced them to look me in the eye and say hello. ONE exception — a gorgeous, friendly young girl who, after 2 years of regular visits, is the only one who acknowledges me as a returning customer. Wish I knew her name. Everyone wears jeans and they’re not too interested in accommodating special requests. Service just downright sucks. Good service is very important to me, so it says a lot about their food that I keep coming back.
Also agreed that there is a whole lot of fake meat going on in the menu. The ‘cutlets’, though tasty, are hardly a health food. They even have fake prawns! Kinda wish they’d avoid fried, sugary, mock-​meat items on the menu. I asked what was in the lasagne cheesy sauce (it’s freakin awesome) and was told it’s just flour, sugar and water!!! So that makes me sad. I’m a vegan for health reasons.
All that said, the food is super tasty and an ideal place to take skeptical carnivores. I’ll remain a loyal regular despite their downfalls.

Oh My God.
This is a most amazing vegan joint I have been to in Australia.
Friendly and happy staff.
And then the food is so good,
Haven’t got any of the of the mains yet,
But the snacks were so, so, so good.
I would recommend the salt & pepper tofu, satay stick, but the highlight of the teats was the Pei King Luck.
Planning my next trip there as I type. lol…
A must for vegy and vegans.

Loving Hut is one of those places that you kinda have to experience — and you’ll either really like it, or think it’s meh — so I’ll keep this brief. But it’s ultimately rarely dissatisfying, and most people I know enjoy it, and return.
First things first — Loving Hut is a world-​wide chain, owned my individuals, and is always 100% vegan. This stems from a religious philosophy, as most staff/​owners are followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai — who promotes the «Quan Yin Method», a style of meditation. Now. This kinda explains the buddhist TV network ambiance of the place. They don’t ever hassle you or attempt to promote their beliefs (which I’d find very uncomfortable), other than the TVs on the walls, which are «Supreme Master TV» — interviews with Ching Hai and her affiliates, cooking shows, news, etc. Now, you know it — let’s forget it and let the food speak for itself ;).
Loving Hut is cheerful, and damn cheap. The service isn’t particularly good (it’s not deliberate, it’s just that the staff aren’t exactly hospitalty professionals), the timings are sometimes a bit off (meaning, sometimes you’ll wait an hour after everyone has finished their main to get your entrée) and it’s kind of like a cafeteria — where you get your own napkins, cutlery, glasses, and water. 95% of the menu is around $ 10.
But the food is good, and I like the place. The owners have kind hearts, and the staff are sweet in an awkward kind of way. Think fresh, crisp vegetables, delicious sauces, and a range of vegetable proteins — ranging from veggie meats (not termed as such), to soy strips, and tofu. They’re all satisfying, unobtrusive, and not weird at all. Most meals come with rice — and for $ 1 extra, you can choose brown rice.
Based on what myself and guests have enjoyed, my recommendations are as follows: entrees — northern pan bread, cream cheese wontons & the deep fried mushroom (OMG OMG OMG SO GOOD). For mains: the peking luck (do it yourself, based on peking duck wraps), crispy yum (kind of like sweet and sour pork with a very sweet, almost tamarind sauce), beijing black bean (just like beef and black bean), satay nuggets (not a very traditional satay sauce, and kind of thin, but chickeny, and yum), or if you’re feeling brave, the 10 Wonders — which is kind of like Bibimbap.
They’ve got a Brisbane City Council 5 Star Food Safety rating, and I just checked their Urbanspoon page, and not *one* person has written to say they don’t like it (other than one, in error). It’s definitely worth a try, and you can’t go wrong with that freshness for those prices.

I must say The Loving Hut has some of the best food I’ve eaten in Brisbane. It’s a great low budget meal, but with top quality food and very generous servings. I recommend the Chow Mein, Summer Rolls, and Pan Bread. It’s a casual atmosphere with all welcome, and has some great take home products too. I do love taking a group of people there, because of the generous seating and friendly staff. Don’t be put off by the strange videos playing, some people I’ve taken there have been annoyed at first, but I find if you sit far away, it’s easy to ignore, and if on your own something different to watch while you wait. Hands down my favourite place to eat.

I went to one of the Loving Huts in LA while I was there. While I was eating such glorious food, I became saddened to think that I could count Brisbane’s vegan restaurants on one hand, and even then I’d have fingers remaining.
Luckily, when I came home I realised that there is a Loving Hut in Brisbane– in Mt Gravatt. I was overjoyed. I think part of the reason I enjoy Loving Hut so much is due to the novelty of eating meats and dairy products that are 100% vegan free. There’s a certain degree of disbelief when you bite into one of the vegan cheesecakes to know you’re not in fact eating a cream+cheese+milk combination. The same goes for the «meat», which are in fact made out of soy products.
The meals are inspired from all parts of the world. There’s a lot of asian dishes to choose from, there’s indian, and even some Italian dishes like spaghetti. My favourite choice is the polenta ($ 12.90) — which includes polenta topped with mushrooms, tomato, capsicum, veggie mince, basil, black olives and vegan mayonnaise. Most of the dishes are veggie heavy– there are no problems about filling up here.
The dining environment isn’t anything spectacular– but no one goes here for the sweet digs. They go here for the unique and healthy food options. Even if Mt Gravatt does seem like a hike to you (it is for me), it’s well worth spending the time and money to go to Loving Hut for a meal. It’s one of the more unique dining experiences you’ll have in Brisbane, I assure you.

Loving Hut is an international chain of vegan restaurants, however the Mt Gravatt restaurant is the only one in Queensland. I really hope they open another on the North side of Brisbane one day!
We went for dinner with our friends — one is a vegetarian, the other is dairy intolerant. So when we read about Loving Hut, a restaurant that is 100% vegan, natural and green, this was the place for us! So off we went to Mt Gravatt for food adventures.
I really love Vegetarian and Vegan food when done well — I don’t want the meat removed from the dish, but rather I like it when they use other proteins and soy products to replace the meat.
Loving Hut in Mt Gravatt is not a fancy restaurant by any standards. You order at the counter and help yourself to water and cutlery. The tables and chairs are plain and simple, but the food is extremely affordable and really delicious.
We tried the Crescent Dumplings ($ 8) — delicious light steamed dumplings, filled with bok choy, mushroom and soy protein, which had the taste and texture similar to pork mince. We also tried the Mini Samosas ($ 4.50) which had a surprising amount of spice, and Salt & Pepper Tofu ($ 6) which is lovely soft silken Tofu in a crispy batter.
The Salt & Pepper Mushroom ($ 6.50) was my highlight for the entrée — a huge Portobello mushroom, crumbed in a delicious crispy batter. The mushroom was so juicy inside!
For mains we got the Beijing Black Bean ($ 11.90) which had thin pieces of soy protein that were scarily similar to thin slices of beef you’d find in regular Chinese Beef & Black Bean dishes. The Golden Curry ($ 12.90) had soy nuggets which aren’t quite as convincing, but still have a nice meaty texture to them.
The Seven Seas Delight ($ 13.50) had been recommended, and I enjoyed this dish the most. Crispy fried veggie protein and seaweed in a ginger/​soy sauce. It came with a huge serving of steamed broccoli and pickled veggies and rice (Pay $ 1 extra to get brown rice instead of white). Definitely a healthy meal!
The Loving Wrap ($ 13.50) was a little strange, but still very tasty. It was kind of like a crispy quiche of bean curd, tofu and herbs. Unless you’re a fan of the taste and texture of tofu, I would stick to the other mock meats and veggie proteins, which are a more convincing meat replacement.
We couldn’t resist the desserts too– we tried a piece of the raw Chocolate cake and the raw Blueberry cheesecake. Of course it’s made with vegan cheese, and by raw they mean, «not baked». The base of the cakes is made of almonds, dates and cashews, and I’m not really sure how they make the chocolate filling so creamy and delicious! It’s totally worth trying.
I also sampled the Sweet Yum Finger, mostly because of the name. But also because it’s a Vietnamese style dessert made with sweet purple potato/​yam! Surprisingly sweet and very moreish, and only $ 3 for 2 fingers.
My friend had the Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, which is a vanilla soy icecream, topped with an Oreo. I didn’t realize that Oreo’s are vegan, but they are!
There are lots of pamphlets and booklets around Loving Hut by Supreme Master Ching Hai — who is a spiritual teacher and humanitarian, and the inspiration for the Loving Hut restaurants and green vegan lifestyle. But it’s not pushy and they don’t serve any propaganda with their food. Just delicious, tasty, vegan meals!
They also have some deep freezers, where you can buy frozen mock meats and pies to take home.